


Summer Nights

by asmaanixx



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Internalized Queerphobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Queerphobia, Removal From Home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 15:00:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10946919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asmaanixx/pseuds/asmaanixx
Summary: It was a sweet and simple kiss that Keith and Lance shared as they made their goodbyes. It was almost poetic, as they looked upon each other for one last time as the ocean slowly ate the sun behind them. Neither of them had expected their summer to have become so meaningful, so memorable. They surely hadn't expected such fond memories to have been produced because of a complete stranger. A stranger who had very quickly morphed into someone akin of a soulmate. It was a silly notion, a concept that they had been using to explain the giddiness and excessive blushing that they would find themselves bewitched by. It was also being used to explain why their bittersweet goodbye was now turning into a heartache.One final kiss, one final goodbye, and the two departed.





	Summer Nights

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I can't write anything light-hearted. I tried and that's what this was supposed to be. A crack-ish parody of the song 'Summer Nights' from Grease. Instead, it turned into this.  
> 2\. That being said, this is my first time writing on queerphobic elements surrounding characters and within characters in some depth. If this was offensive to anyone, then I am truly, and very deeply sorry.  
> 3\. I have always used they/their pronouns for Pidge but in this story I've used she/her because Pidge hasn't figured out their identity yet.  
> 4\. If everyone else are out of character, then I'm sorry. It's like I said it was supposed to be a crack fic but it became something else.  
> 5\. I'm not sure what the exact time period is but it's in the past.  
> 6\. Like always, kudos/comments/criticisms are always greatly appreciated. <3

It was a sweet and simple kiss that Keith and Lance shared as they made their goodbyes. It was almost poetic, as they looked upon each other for one last time as the ocean slowly ate the sun behind them. Neither of them had expected their summer to have become so meaningful, so memorable. They surely hadn't expected such fond memories to have been produced because of a complete stranger. A stranger who had very quickly morphed into someone akin of a soulmate. It was a silly notion, a concept that they had been using to explain the giddiness and excessive blushing that they would find themselves bewitched by. It was also being used to explain why their bittersweet goodbye was now turning into a heartache.

One final kiss, one final goodbye, and the two departed.

* * *

"Ugh, your life is such a drag." Pidge complained, rolling their eyes. "Please tell me something interesting happened to you." She asked, lightly tapping on Keith's leg.

"Well... I did meet someone..." He revealed, his voice growing fond from just thinking of Lance. However, the moment the words were out of his mouth, Keith regretted it. He hadn't meant to reveal his little secret but it had been days since the blue eyed boy had been living in his mind and he sort of just slipped out without Keith meaning him to. He looked frantically at the three pair of wide and shiny eyes. He couldn't get out of this now even if he wanted to but he sure as hell couldn't tell them that it was a  _boy_ that he had met. Keith just had to lie even if it ripped his heart to shreds.

"Don't just stop there! Tell us more." Pidge encouraged.

"Was she hot and sexy?" Coran asked with a waggle of her brows.

"And cute and pretty." Keith blushed, remembering the way Lance had walked down the boardwalk in his black leather jacket. His heart had fluttered so hard Keith had thought it was going to jump right out of his rib cage.

"Tell us more!" Allura exclaimed.

"Yeah like does she drive a car?" Coran asked, slamming his hands down and leaning forward.

"Way to keep your priorities in check." Allura mumbled.

Keith giggled. "Yup. It was blue and shiny." Everyone  _ooohed_.

"How did you two first meet?" Allura asked, her hands clasped closely to her chest.

"At the beach. In the waters." Keith reminisced, remembering Lance's skin slick with salt water, and his hair clamped to his skull, dripping even more droplets. His hearty laugh and smug smile had lured Keith closer to him on that first day. "She was showing off, splashing around."

"Don't tell me you fell in love." Pidge scoffed looking at Keith's smitten face.

Keith couldn't really hear them after that. He was too lost in remembering the golden summer days. Their walks in the park as they sipped on chilled lemonades, the countless hours they spent at the beach letting the water cool down their bodies that will heat up whenever they would be anywhere near each other. The first time he felt Lance's finger brush against his pinky, and then slowly clasp over his hand. It had been incredibly warm and a little sweaty but Keith had blushed hard and hadn't been able to stop the wide smile that had adorned his face.

"Anything else happen? Cause she's starting to sound like a bore now." Pidge deadpanned, with a roll of her eyes.

"We stayed out till ten o'clock." Keith whispered.

Allura and Coran squealed, holding each other's hands. Being high school teenagers, almost everyone had the same curfew. But for Keith to have been out one hour longer than everyone else, that too with a girl? Well... that was pretty exciting for everyone in the room.

"What did you do? Did you kiss? Make out?" Allura asked in rapid successions. Then she gasped, covering her mouth and in mock horror, asked, "You didn't do the...  _thing_ did you?"

"What?" Keith reddened. "No!" He shifted in his seat, getting a bit uncomfortable. "Was just really friendly. Holding my hand." He clasped his own hands and held them towards his chest. For a moment, he felt like he could feel Lance's warm touch. Regardless, his heart couldn't stop fluttering like a newly born butterfly.

"How much did she spend on you?" Coran asked, pushing Allura aside.

"Is money all that you can think of?" Allura snapped, pulling Coran back by the ear.

Keith sighed and walked away from the group as they all started bickering with each other.

Lance didn't shower him with money and gifts but what he gave him had been far more precious. He gave him a sweet, beautiful summer that he would remember fondly for the rest of his days. He was the first one to awaken sensations in Keith that he himself never knew he was capable of. Blushing into various shades of pinks and reds, anxiously waiting for someone's arrival, being annoyed when they turned up late, and then letting their anger quickly dissipate when they gave them that  _one smile_. Keith had started to  _desire_ and want to do things that would be considered a bit risque for others. He wanted to hold Lance's hand in public and in private. He wanted to kiss him more than once and certainly not only when they have to say goodbyes. Mostly, he just wanted to be with Lance as freely and unashamedly as he can with a girl.

Despite all that, Keith smiled for he learned that he could love a boy.

* * *

"I wanna know how Lance spent his summer." Hunk said, sitting down on a bleacher next to the boy. "Do anything interesting?"

"More like did you  _do_ anyone interesting?" Rolo asked nudging Lance with his elbow.

"Oh piss off." Lance swatted Rolo away but failed to keep the blushing smile off of his face.

"There is someone!" Rolo exclaimed pointing at Lance. "Who is it!  _How_ was it! Details, now!"

"Okay, okay," Lance relented, "Yeah, I met a girl. She was absolutely crazy for me." Lance knew he was lying and he hated that he had to do it in regards to Keith but it was the only way he could keep the guys off his back.

"Tell us more! Did you get very far?" Rolo asked, practically laying on top of Lance.

Hunk pulled Rolo back and instead asked, "How'd you two meet? Was she nice?"

"Oh yeah." Lance leaned back against one of the bleachers and gave a smug smile. "I saved her from nearly drowning and after that, she just couldn't keep her hands off of me."

Rolo was getting _very_ excited. "What else did you do?"

"I took her bowling to the arcade." Lance laughed as he remembered what a horrible player Keith was.

"Did you make out?" Rolo asked, pulling on Lance's arm.

"Under the docks." He replied, with a wink.

"Oh you don't have to brag now." Hunk said, crossing his arms and slightly pouting.

"She got friendly down in the sand." Lance sang, purposely irritating his friend. "And she was good, you know what I mean." He stood up, and winking at Rolo, jumped off the bleachers.

"Does she have a friend!" Rolo yelled and was about to go after Lance when Hunk pulled him back, distracting him with a group of girls that were walking by.

Lance, however, kept on walking, his hands pocketed deep in his jacket, his feet kicking away at the small pebbles and stones. He absolutely hated himself for what he just did. He not only hid Keith's true identity but he sullied it too. Keith was not 'easy' or hot and sexy or anything like what the guys expect Lance's girls to be. Keith was sweet, and kind and so innocent. He was pure and good and reminded Lance of sunshine. To him, Keith was the summer of a lifetime.

He looked up at the sky and wondered if he ever crossed Keith's mind.

* * *

"Summer came and went." Pidge told Keith, wrapping one arm around his neck. "You have to now think of the future. At all the other fish in the sea."

"Ooohh, here comes one now!" Allura squealed, slapping Coran on the arm.

"Who?" Keith asked, holding his books closer to his chest.

"Mr. Casanova." Pidge replied. "Not a day goes by where a girl of a different name isn't hanging on his arm."

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss." Allura complained. "Let him have a little fun." Pidge rolled her eyes.

Keith stopped. The boy of his dreams, the boy who taught him the meaning of love was standing right in front of him. His fingers tingled and toes curled as Lance walked up to him, his eyes wide in surprise. It mustn't have been too long, barely a few seconds but it had been enough to erase everyone else in the room, leaving only them behind. Neither of them had known that they would be lucky enough to see each other again, that too so soon.

"Hello Lance." Keith greeted, clutching his books tighter, and gasping a little as his cheeks heated up.

Rolo looked between the two boys. "You know this dude?"

"Huh?" Lance vaguely replied in a daze. Then quickly, he shook his head, snapping the trance he and Keith were locked in. "Nah. Never met him."

Keith's face fell and his knuckles went white as he gripped his books tighter.

"Come on, we're getting late." Hunk groaned, tapping his feet impatiently from the other side of the group.

Rolo twitched in irritation when Keith wouldn't step aside. "Beat it pansy!" He shouted, making Keith flinch.

Lance's hands curled into fists and he shot a glare in Rolo's way. But he didn't say anything. Just silently watched as Keith stepped aside and let them walk by. Hunk grabbed Rolo by the neck and began to whisper something fiercely in his ear. He was lucky for if it had been Lance who had grabbed Rolo, the boy wouldn't have left the room without a broken bone or two. He risked looking back at Keith but he was being maneuvered away by Allura and Coran. Pidge, looked Lance right in the eye and shook her head, disappointed.

* * *

From the moment Keith bumped into Lance that day, all he wanted to do was curl up and cry. He was in parts extremely thankful for Allura and Coran as they were continuously trying to cheer him up while Pidge sent death stares to anyone who looked remotely vicious towards Keith. In other parts, he didn't like them because they had made all his anger go away and right now all that Keith wanted to do was be angry. He didn't want to be clutching onto his chest and desperately wish for it not to crack. He certainly didn't want the beautiful memories he had created with Lance to be sullied in any way.

But the harder he sobbed, the dirtier the memories became. He had convinced himself that their summer romance was merely meant for that long - a summer. But then he saw him today and for just a moment, a flicker of hope ignited in his chest and he had wondered if it was possible for them to rekindle their romance. But then Lance had spoken those dreaded words and Keith felt so cheap. He felt like he had been used like a tissue paper and then discarded on the ground without any thought. What hurt Keith the most however, was the piercing silence that came shortly afterwards. Lance should have spoken up if not for him, then at least for the sake of the loving moments they had spent with each other.

The fact that he had kept silent when his friend insulted him, surely couldn't mean that Lance thought the same way... could it?

Keith hugged his pillow harder and cried silently, literally feeling like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

Society was cruel, and quite innocently, Keith had wished Lance wasn't too.

* * *

Lance threw his cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out with the tip of his shoe.

He should have said something. Even now, hours after the incident, Lance wished he could go back in time and done something. He didn't care if he had just said Rolo's name, or thrown him an angry glare or even punched him in the face. He just wanted to do  _something_ other than have kept his big mouth shut.

"Why so glum?" Pidge shouted, screeching to a stop beside the sidewalk.

"Fuck off Pidge. I'm not in the mood." Lance snapped, taking out another cigarette and lighting it.

"Is that what you told lover boy?" She lowered her black shades to peer at Lance under lashes. Her smile was wicked as she popped her pink bubble gum.

Lance however, went pale in color. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come now. There's no need to lie to me." She sang sweetly. "Besides your bitch of a friend isn't around here for you to have your shackles on." She switched gears and parked the car.

Lance hopped in and rested his legs against the dashboard. They didn't say a word. Simply sat in silence, him smoking, and her popping her gum.

"Keith, he's going to get hurt." Pidge spoke at last, watching a couple of kids ride by.

Lance tensed and immediately demanded to know. "What makes you think that?"

Pidge raised a brow. "So you do know him." Lance paled again. Keith didn't even have the chance to reveal his name before he was tossed off like a piece of trash. Pidge shook her head once more. "He's not a hard asshole like you. All of this... I think it's new for him. He doesn't really understand how nasty people can get."

Lance's heart broke. He knew full well how nasty people like Rolo can get and what happened today wasn't a targeted attack. It was merely a flippant comment, something that was said so casually as if he was talking about the miserable rainy weather. Fear and dread filled Lance. When he had been sneaking out to meet up with Keith, he knew exactly what kind of risks he was taking. The places they would go to, the times that they would meet up at, the type of activities that they would partake in, it was all planned out beforehand. In all honesty, he didn't want anyone to find out about Keith because he wanted him to be just his. Not a secret that he's ashamed of, but someone whom he can look back to and think of fondly. He wanted Keith to be his ray of sunshine on his darkest days, not a dull light that has been darkened by the clouds of societal expectations.

"Look, I don't know the guy all that well, but if you were just using him to figure yourself out then..." Pidge began but was immediately interrupted.

"I wasn't. That, never crossed my mind. When I was with Keith, I wasn't thinking about  _why_ I was with him. I just was." He confessed. "I liked him and I just wanted to be around him more." 

"What about now?"

"I don't know." Lance admitted, crossing his brows. "It's just... complicated." 

"Are you fucking serious?" Pidge scoffed. "So it's okay for you to like him when you're snogging him in some shady corner but when it comes to standing up for him and the integrity of your relationship, it's fuck all?"

"Pidge! It's not easy." Lance enunciated each word to make himself clearer. "These people," He pointed in a vague direction, "They don't care about honor, purity, chastity or all that crap. They're going to see two guys together and they're going to bring out their pitchforks because to them, the apocalypse is here. Their only concern with us is in regards to how many more are there left to kill. _That's_ the type of deep, mind-fucking shit that I'm in right now." Hot tears welled up in Lance's eyes.

The silence became longer between the two bodies.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Pidge finally asked when the silence was becoming unbearable.

"I don't know." Lance flicked some of the ash away from his cigarette.

The sun had set before him, but he didn't even notice.

* * *

Weeks passed by and the time for the annual ball had arrived. Allura and Coran were practically jumping out of their sneakers as they read the event poster. Pidge rolled her eyes to show her indifference but Keith knew full well that if Allura and Coran pressed hard enough, she would eventually give in. Keith, on the other hand, wasn't all too excited. It was after all a type of dance that silently mandated people enter as a couple and sure Keith may have been approached by a few girls here and there, but in all honesty, he simply wasn't all that keen on going with anyone.

It had been a hectic few months and it had taken a lot longer than Keith would have liked to settle in thanks to Rolo and his little group of friends. Sometimes Keith found himself battling with the mystical beast Hydra. Cut down one rumor and two more pop up. If he went, who knew what kind of situations Rolo would use to benefit himself. 

"Keith, shall we?" Pidge asked, waiting by the corner of the hallway.

With a nod, Keith was about to make his way when he was tackled by Rolo, his arm corded tightly around Keith's neck.

"Aaww, don't be like that Pidgey. Little Miss Sunshine here just wants to have a little fun." He squeezed Keith's neck a little tighter. "Don't you boy?"

"I bet he's already picked out a dress he's going to wear." Lotor jeered behind them, earning a few snickers from the students hanging around.

Keith's face went red and eyes welled up.

"Let me go!" He tried to get Rolo to remove his arm but he just held on tighter.

"Aww, what's wrong Red? I thought you liked it rough." He mockingly leaned forward as if to bite Keith.

"Rolo, let him go!" Pidge shouted, marching her way to the scene.

"Ooohhh, I'm so scared." Rolo taunted. "Gonna have a girl fight your fights for you now lover boy? Huh? Not man enough to do it on your own?"

Keith stomped on Rolo's foot and released himself from his grip. Then, as he was hunched over, Keith kneed him in the jaw and gave him a solid punch as his head came up. Blood was coming out of Rolo's mouth and the students gathered around all made various enthusiastic sounds. No one had expected Keith to fight back, least of all physically. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins and he was ready to give Rolo back the same type of hell that he had been subjected to for all this time.

"Why you fucking little piece of shit!" Rolo screamed, spluttering blood as he lunged to attack Keith.

Lance, however, stepped in between and pushed Rolo up against the wall.

"I think there's been enough blood. Don't you?" He stated in a stern, calm voice.

"Lance, you don't know what this little fucker-" Rolo began but was cut off.

"Keith." Lance firmly stated. "His name is Keith and it's about time you started showing him some respect. Honestly,  it's no wonder you're getting the shit kicked out of you." He let him go and stepped back.

"Not bad for Little Miss Sunshine, now is he?" Pidge taunted dropping a handkerchief by Rolo's feet.

Clasping Keith's hand in hers, the two left the gossiping hallway and the boy in the leather jacket without looking back.

* * *

Lance drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and exhaled the smoke from his cigarette. All his friends were already inside drinking and dancing the night away and here Lance was, sitting out in the chill of November, moping. He's not even sure why since he had already agreed to come with Nyma. He had even gone as far as getting a frilly corsage for her. Then, just as they had arrived in front of the school doors, Nyma slammed the doors yelling something about Lance and his absent mind. He honestly couldn't remember what it was that had ticked her off but he couldn't bring it in himself to care. He didn't care about these silly boy-girl dances or being forced to dress up according to someone's horrible fashion sense. He sure as hell didn't want scrawny little eyes watching his every move and wedging a fucking textbook between him and his partner when they felt they were getting too frisky.

Lance threw his cigarette and drove away. He didn't have a particular destination in mind, just kept diving around in circles like his mind was at the moment. More often than not, he found himself coming back to Keith. The boy hadn't interacted with him much and Lance isn't going to lie, it did hurt him immensely. But then again, he himself hadn't been doing much to lessen the distance either. He mostly kept to himself and focused on bringing his marks up to get into a decent college. It was no surprise that he had to deal with Keith in the academic area as well. He was crazy smart and secretly, Lance couldn't be any prouder of the boy. There had been a small hiccup when he had been suspended a few days for hitting Rolo, which in Lance's opinion, was totally awesome, but that barely left a dent in Keith's grades. He brought them back up as easily as if he had been applying butter to toast.

Lance gripped his steering wheel tightly. He told himself that he wouldn't think of Keith, or anyone else for that matter. No one had been able to touch his heart strings like Keith had and the idea of having someone else come after him just felt wrong to Lance. Even though they weren't actually dating or even had their relationship be publicly acknowledged, it somehow felt like he was betraying Keith and the bond that they shared. But what kind of bond was Lance even feeling himself entitled to when he kept pushing Keith away? He didn't stand up for him. He didn't tell Rolo and his knuckle-headed friends to back off. If he did, then it was only  _after_ Keith had done so himself. It was  _Keith_ who had been strong enough to stand up to his bullies and show them that he's not a fragile little flower like they all think him to be. He has nerves of steel and he will use them against anyone who dared to mess with him. And Lance? Well, he was the real coward.

With screeching tires, Lance roughly pulled into a parking spot in front of the  _Galaxy_ diner. He needed something strong and greasy to ease his mind.

"Hey pops!" Lance greeted with a nod to his head. "The usual please."

Joe yelled out for an order of cheeseburger and onion rings. While he worked on Lance's large Oreo milkshake, he said, "I thought you would be at the dance."

"Nahh, it just wasn't my thing." Lance replied as he sat upon a red bar stool.

"Funny." Joe chuckled, sliding the tall, frosty glass over to the boy. "He said the same thing." He jerked his head in the direction of a booth behind Lance.

It was Keith.

Turning around, Lance swallowed a large sip of his shake, wincing as a he got a brain freeze. 

* * *

"Hey." Keith looked up from the newspaper as Lance slid into the seat opposite him. He blinked at all the food that was sitting before him. He desperately wished that his stomach wouldn't growl. He only had enough change to buy a small order of fries and that had been gobbled up hours ago.

"What are you doing here?" Keith asked, really not in the mood to be explaining himself to anyone, least of all to Lance.

"To eat. Duh." Lance replied, teasingly and gosh Keith wished that he wouldn't. He could feel himself slipping into the easy rhythm of annoyance being turned into easy forgiveness.

"And out of all the booths to sit at in this empty diner, you only found mine?" He asked with a raise of his brow.

"Yup." Lance smiled around a huge bite of his cheeseburger. "What are you even up to?" He asked, taking a peek at the newspaper column Keith was looking at.

His face flushed, Keith quickly tucked it away. "Nothing."

"Keith, are you looking for a place to stay?" Lance slowly chewed, a terrible cold creeping up their bones. Keith nodded. "Why? What happened?" He put down his burger, and forcibly swallowed his food.

"I got kicked out." Keith mumbled, keeping his head down. "Rolo and his friends came over earlier tonight. Broke a few windows. Called me a few names. My dad got really mad and started asking me things and after a while, I couldn't really lie so I told him that..." He blinked rapidly and swallowed a few times. "I told him that I'm gay. Then he got  _really_ mad and started shouting so much and I don't know, mom locked him in a room. Told me to pack my bag and leave. She gave me whatever money she had in her purse and that was it. They both stayed in their room, screaming and shouting and I packed and left." Keith sighed, his hands clasped, looking anywhere but at Lance.

After a while, Lance whispered, "This is all because of me."

Keith lost it. "Oh for fuck's sake Lance! You weren't even brought up once! This is about me and my parents' inability to accept me for who I am. So can you please not take one of the most horrible experiences of my life and make it all about you? Because if you're looking for a pity party you're not getting it here." He sat back against the cool material of the booth, and crossed his arms.

He was absolutely livid. It is true that Lance played a crucial part in making Keith realize his sexuality but that didn't mean that every aspect of his life became revolved around him. Lance had his chance to be someone meaningful but then he blew it away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." He trailed off, looking away ashamed. "I just... how can I help?" He asked, reaching forward. "Do you want to stay at my place? You can use the extra room. Allita moved out months ago and some of her stuff is still there but we can-"

" _No,_ Lance." Keith snapped. He took a deep breath before he started again. "I'm staying with Pidge. She's actually coming to get me."

"Oh," Lance pulled back. "Okay."

A few minutes of silence came over them where the only sounds made were Lance's occasional slurping and him playing around with his food.

"You should eat." Keith commented, eyeing Lance twirl a ring around. "It's rude to waste it."

"I'm not hungry." Lance mumbled, throwing the ring into its rectangular checkered basket.

"Liar." Keith mumbled back.

Ratting them both out, both their stomachs growled loudly, shocking them into a brief silence and making Joe's ears perk up. Just like that, the two boys broke out into a great laughter, the chefs at the back poking their heads out to see what the commotion was. The two boys laughed and they laughed, both holding onto their stomachs and both trying to keep the tears out of their eyes. But when they looked at each other, they broke out into another laugh.

Joe shook his head and continued whistling as he swept the floor.

It was a while before their laughter trickled down and wistful smiles graced their lips.

"I missed this." Lance revealed in a whisper, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye. "Not even the romantic part. Just being around you. It's just so easy to be _me."_

Keith raised his brow in disbelief. "Yeah well, your actions belie you."

"I know." He shook his head, looking out the now rain streaked window. "It's all my fault. All the moments that I could have been with you. All the things that I could have done or said."

After a few minutes Keith spoke. "It's too late for that now." The words stung Lance's eyes but he kept his jaw locked and nodded. "Look Lance," Keith licked his lips and spread his arms across the empty space of the table. "If you really do want to do something for me, then just keep Rolo and his goons off my back. It's our last year, we're almost done school and I'll be gone. I won't be around to show anyone my face and we can just put this all behind us. I just..." He gulped. "I just want to graduate." His voice cracked. "That's all that I want to do right now. I just want to make it to my graduation."

Even if he could, Keith didn't stop his tears. He laid his head down on the table and cried. He thought he heard a sniffle that wasn't his but he couldn't be too sure. He looked up when he felt a warm body slide in next to him, wrapping their arms around him. He cried even harder into Lance's arms. He hated the fact that their most intimate moments were now being packaged with tears, and a broken heart.

* * *

Lance isn't entirely sure where the year went by. It was mostly a gigantic blur filled with him mostly studying, and hanging out with Hunk. His social life, needless to say, had gone considerably down especially since he got into a few fights with Rolo when he wouldn't back off from harassing Keith. As expected, he had started to be harassed as well but a few broken bones later and an official police complaint later, matters had simmered down for a while. At least in the physical assault department. The differential treatment he got in other areas of his life didn't go unnoticed. Lance began to feel a lot more eyes watching his every move than before. It was like they were just waiting for the chance to pounce on him and skin him alive. 

It's only now, with his diploma in hand, that Lance is able to finally breathe. The only thing Lance was looking forward to now was seeing the town's welcoming sign in his rear view mirror. He never wanted to step foot back here again and he was more than happy that the rest of his family was coming with him. The move was proving to be beneficial for everyone involved and Lance took this is a fortunate sign.

He got pulled in by Hunk to get various photos taken. He smiled and he laughed and he posed for them all. Then he went up to Keith, congratulated him and then said goodbye.

Hours later while driving down the road, Lance can still feel the fierce tug on his heart when he shook Keith's hand. And that  _smile_ , so pure and so genuine. It was the same smile that Keith had given him when they had said their goodbyes one summer ago. It was one of fondness, the promise of remembrance, and purely warm. Keith gave Lance the promise of a gloriously warm summer and Lance accepted it with all his heart.


End file.
